Device for collecting serum from blood



Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,157

A. DE AVILA DEVICE FOR COLLECTING SERUM FROM BLOOD Filed Nov. 29. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 7, 1928.

A. DE AVlLA DEVICE FOR COLLECTING SERUM FROM BLOOD Filed Nov. 29, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Patented Feb. 7, 1928 UNITED STATES AUIRELIO DE AVILA, 0F CALLE NEVA, MEXICO.

DEVICE FOR COLLECTING SERUM FROM BLOOD.

Application filed November 29, 1926. Serial No. 151,191.

This invention relates to a device for separating serum from blood.

The primary object of this invention is the provision, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, of a device in which blood is clotted and serum separated therefrom, and including means for receiving the separated serum which means is designed to be sealed to retain the serum free from contamination until the same is to be removed for bacteriological tests.

The device embodying this invention is designed primarily for use by doctors who wish to take blood from a patient for transmission to a laboratory, to make a bacteriological test of the same. The device is intended for use by doctors who are located at points remote from laboratory facilities or whose patients are located at such remote points, and is designed to enable the doctor to separate the blood from the serum and pocket the same in a sealed capsule so that the separated serum can be easily and safely transported to a laboratory for test.

This device is particularly useful in cases whereblood is taken for a Wassermann test, and in which it is desirable that the serum has the red corpuseles removed therefrom as soon as possible.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 shows the device embodying this invention in side elevation, and in the first position it assumes when placed in use.

Figure 2-shows the device in the second positlon.

Figure-3 shows the device in its third position.

Figure 4 shows the device in its fourth posit1on.

Figure fifth position, position.

Figure 6 shows in plan view a modified construction of the device.

5 shows the devicein its final or which is the same as the first Figure 7 shows the modified construction in s1de elevation.

Figure 8 is a section taken upon the line 88 of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a transverse section taken upon the line 99 of Figure 6.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several yiews, the serum separating device embody mg this invention is shown as comprising two sections or parts indicated as A and B.

The device is preferably made of glass and the portion A comprises an elongated glass tube 1 having one end turned at right angles as indicated at 2, while a longer portion of the tube at the other end is turned baokwardly upon the body 1 at an acute angle setting up the portion 3. This acutely angled portion 3 has the free end thereof enlarged as indicated at 4. The purpose for this enlargement will be made apparent as the description proceeds.

The section B of the device comprises a pair of glass capsules 5 and 6 having the ends connected through the acutely angled tubular portion 7. Each of the capsules 5 and 6 has its free end tapered to a point, the capsule 5 terminating in the short point 8, while the capsule 6 terminates in the elongated clos-ed point 9. This point 901 the capsule 6 is provided with a small passage therethrough and the point is closed by heating and melting the same forming the bulb end 10 upon the free end thereof.

As is clearly shown the reduced or pointed end 8 of the capsule 5 is extended into the enlarged end 4 of the angled other portion 3. This reduced end 8 is sealed in this enlarged end 4 setting up a pocket 11 around the reduced end of the capsule 5. As is shown in the figures, the angled tubular portion 7 between the capsules 5 and 6 arranges the capsules in acutely angled relation and when the end 8 of the capsule 5 is fitted into the enlarged end 4 of the portion 3, the pointed end 9 of the capsule 6 extends across the elongated portion 1 of the part A. A substantially triangular device is thus set up, the angled end 2 of the portion A lying beyond the capsule 6 and extending substantially parallel therewith.

In Figures 6 and 7 the same portions of the device are shown, and the same reference characters are used upon these figures as upon the Figures 1 to 5 inclusive. The difference between the structure shown in the Figures 6 and 7 and those shown in the other figures is, that the angle between thesections 1 and 3 of the portion B is more acute bringing the section 3 and the capsule 5 to rest against the section 1, and the angle of the tubular connection 7 between the capsules 5 and 6 is also made more acute, thus bringing the cap sule 6 against the body of the capsule 5, and the body of the section 1. In this manner the device can readily be placed upon a flat surface and will remain with the turned end 2 upright.

When the device herein described is to be used, it is provided in sterile condition and the open end 2 of the portion A is closed by a pledget of sterile cotton 12.

The physician using this device after drawing a sufficient quantity of blood from a patient removes the cotton stopper 12 and, holding the device in the position 1 introduces the blood into the upturned end 2, into the portion A. The devicgis then maintained in the position shown in Figure 1 for a period of two or three hours, until the blood in the section 1 has clotted and serum separated therefrom.

When the serum has separated from the clot as described in the foregoing paragraph the device is then tilted so that blood will pocket in the bend between the section 1 and the angled section 3 of the portion A, as shown in Figure 2. At the end of one or two-hours when the quantity of serum desired rises in the angled portion 3 over the clotted portion of the blood shown in Fig ure 2, the position of the device isagain changed so that the pointed end of the capsule 5 will be directed upwardly and the end 2 of the portion A will extend downwardly as shown in Figure 3. When the device is changed to this position the serum will flow down into the section 3 around the end of the capsule 5 while the clotted blood will flow back .into that end of the tube 1 from which the angled portion 2 extends, as is indicated in Figure 3. The device is left in this third position for a suflicient length of time to cause the red corpuscles to separate from the serum if they have not all before separated, and the separated corpuscles will settle into the pocket 11 around the ti 8 of the capsule 5, whilethe serum will 11 the portion 3 covering the end of the capsule. The serum will not flow into the capsule 5 or the attached capsule 6 as the air trap therein will prevent this.

When it is observed that the serum is clear and without red corpuscles in suspension, the tip 10 is carefully broken to allow air to escape from the capsules 5 and 6 and the tube connecting them, thus allowing the serum to fiow from the section 3 through the capsule 5, the tube 7 and into the capsule 6. The device in the meantime being changed to the position 4 which places the capsule 6 into the broken end of the point 9 is thenclosed by heating the same over an alcohol lamp or other flame to melt the glass tube in the usual manner.

After the point of the capsule 6 has cooled off the device is again turned to the position which it assumed in the first operation, the position shown in Figure 1 andalso shown in Figure 5, and after this the tube 7 is broken disconnecting capsule 6 from capsule 5 and this broken end of the tube which is attached to the capsule 6 is then closed by melting the same in a flame as was done with the point 9.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that the serum which finally collects in the capsule 6 is hermetically sealed therein and may be transported any distance or kept any length of time without danger of contamination.

The structure shown in Figures 6 and 7, is used in the same manner as that just described, the various steps necessary to separate the serum from the clotted blood will be readily understood without giving a description of the same in detail.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A device of the character described for separating serum from blood, comprising a tubular receptacle for receiving and holding blood until the serum has separated therefrom, means whereby said serum and blood may be segregated in separate portions of the device, and a serum receiving capsule forming a part of the receptacle and adapted to be broken therefrom and sealed after the serum has entered thereinto.

2. A device of the character set forth, comprising a tubular body formed in two attached sections, consisting of an elongated portion having a portionof each end formed at an angle, and a serum receiving capsule portion, said capsule ortion being joined to one of said angled en s to receive therefrom serum separated from blood contained in the elongated portion. L

3. In a device for separating serum from blood, a tubular body formed in two attached sections, one of said sections comprising an elongated tubular portion having a relatively long section at one end bent at an angle to the body and having a short section at the other end also at an angle to the body, the other of said sections consisting of a pair of capsules having a tubular connection therebetween, and each having one 4. In a device for separating serum from blood, a tubular body formed in two attached sections, one of said sections com- I prising an elongated tubular portion having a relatively long section at one end bent at an angle to the body and having a short section at the other end also bent at an angle to the body, the other of said sections consisting of a painof capsules having a tubular connection therebetween, and each having one end formed to set up a reduced tubular extension, one of the tubular extensions of one capsule being extended into and secured to one of the angled portions of the first mentioned section, and the tubular extension pro'ecting from the end of the other capsule eing sealed, that reduced extension projecting into the end of the angled portion of the first mentioned section, forming with said angled portion a trap for receiving undesired portion of the serum before the same enters the capsule.

5. In a device for separating serum from blood, a tubular body formed in two attached sections, one of said sections comprising an elongated tubular portion having a relatively long section at one end bent at an angle with the body and having a short section at the other end also at an angle to the body, the other of said sections consisting of a pair of capsules having a tubular connection therebetween, and each having one end formed to set up a reduced tubular extension, one of the tubular extensions of one capsule being extended into and secured to one of the angled portions of the first mentioned section, and the tubular extension projecting from the end of the other I capsule being sealed, that capsule from which the sealed tubular extension projects being designed to receive serum from the first mentioned section of the device, after the breaking of said sealed end to allow air to escape therefrom, the capsule finally receiving the serum being designed to have both ends thereof sealed after the serum has entered thereinto.

6. A device for separating serum from blood, comprising an elongated tubular glass body, having one end turned at right angles, and having the other end bent to form an elongated angled portion, having the free end thereof enlarged, a pair of elongated glass capsules, one of said capsules having one end thereof terminating in an open point and adapted to be extended into the enlarged portion of said angled portion, the other of said capsules having an elongated sealed point projecting from one end thereof, and a connecting tube between the other end of the capsule.

7. A device for separating serum from blood, comprising an elongated tubular glass body, having one end turned at right angles,

and having the other end bent to form an elongated angled portion, having the free end thereof enlarged, a pair of elongated glass capsules, one of said capsules having one end thereof terminating in an open point and adapted to be extended into the enlarged portion of said angled portion, the other of said capsules having an elongated sealed point projecting from one end thereof, and a connecting tube between the other end of the capsules, that capsule oint extending into said elongated angle portion,

forming with the said portion a trap, for receivin undesirable matter from the serum before the same enters the adjacent capsule.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

AURELIO DE AVILA. 

